It's All About Balance
by BlondeandConfused
Summary: Taichi wasn't expecting life to be so busy after high school: college, football, girls. And just like before, the digital world wants to interfere.
1. Chapter 1

"Do you understand what you need to do?"

"...Yes, sir."

Taichi Yagami was headed home after a particularly exhausting day. You'd think after finishing entrance exams he'd get to enjoy his break before college studies began, but the universe had other plans. Those plans involved two-a-day practices for football and pre-requisite assignments for his classes. Couldn't they just wait until classes begin? The last few weeks were especially gouging by adding the stress of moving into an apartment with Yamato so they could "truly enjoy the freshmen experience", or so Yamato argued the evening of their high school graduation.

All these things led Taichi to this very predicament: walking to his new apartment in the near dead of night after an especially long practice because he made the mistake of heading to his parents' house instead. He grimaced thinking back to when his "angelic" little sister opened the door, laughed in his face and slammed it shut before yelling "you don't live here anymore!" He'll have to get back at her later.

Everything seemed so still and quiet. It was weird. Takeru would probably have some insightful metaphor to say about calmness or whatever. Chuckling at the thought Taichi didn't hear at first the panicked "Watch out!" coming from his peripheral. When the words finally registered it was too late. A football had been lodged in his direction and made perfect contact with his cheek, knocking him to the ground.

Before he opened his eyes again he heard the pitter-patter of cleats hitting concrete. The noise grew closer and then stopped suddenly. Opening one eye to investigate, Taichi found himself face-to-face with a very panicked girl. She couldn't be any older than him with long, brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. Her green eyes were wide with worry. What was she doing out at this hour?

The words spilled out of her mouth in quick succession. "Are you ok? How many fingers am I holding up? Do you remember who you are?"

Taichi finally opened his second eye to find the girl kneeling over him examining the bruise that started to form on his face.

"Yea, it's gonna take more than that to bring me down. Maybe next time aim more for the goal and less for innocent bystanders." He replied. He really had a chance to observe the girl this time. She was wearing a school practice jersey and by how dirty it was, he guessed she had been out there for some time. "I'm Taichi. Taichi Yagami. What are you doing out here? The field is usually off-limits after 8."

At his comment she blushed and leaned away. She had a sheepish grin on her face. "Ah ha.. I was not aware there were rules like that… I'm Yuzuki Kinimoto. I just moved here a few days ago. I'll be starting at the university. I was just looking for a place to kick off some stress, but I suppose I should stop tonight while I'm ahead. It wouldn't be a great first impression to knockout everyone I meet."

Giggling at her own comment she stood up and offered her hand. It was then Taichi realized he was still sitting on the sidewalk. Quickly grabbing her hand he collected his gym bag and propped it back on his shoulder. "Well, I should get home before my roommate heads to bed. If I wake him up, then I won't hear the end of it." The wrath of a tired Yamato is not one to be messed with. Taichi internally shuddered that the thought.

Smiling back she responded "Probably a good idea. I should get my things and get home before I'm caught by someone who won't just let me off with a warning. It was nice meeting you Taichi, maybe I'll see you around campus." With that, she abruptly picked up her soccer ball and jogged back toward the field with the same pitter-patter noise as before.

Taichi watched as she made it to the field before he snapped out of his daze and yelled back "Yea, I'll see you around!" With a quick turn he headed toward his new apartment where a questioning Yamato was probably residing. He couldn't help but grin the whole way home.

Yuzuki waited for Taichi to walk out of sight before she stopped running. Rustling could be heard from the trees nearby as a cat-like creature descended from them.

"I would call that a successful meeting." the creature stated.

Yuzuki turned toward the creature and with a small smile replied "Yea. The crest of courage really is as gullible as they say. He'll be easy to take out. Let's go home and report to the boss."

The creature jumped on the girl's shoulders as they began their walk into the dead of night.


	2. Chapter 2

Running. If Taichi could sum up his first few weeks of college it would be with that word. He'd even taken up Yamato's habit of chugging coffee in the mornings on his way to practice… and then again in between every class. The bitter liquid tasted like a mix between dirt and his mother's experimental cola and beet smoothie, but it did the job to wake him up. Gosh sleep sounded so good right now.

Though sleep will have to wait. Tonight was the first Friday night Taichi got to enjoy without the stress of waking up bright and early for a football game. It was also the first performance of Yamato's band since the semester started. Though what a weird place to have it. The small bell jingled every time the door opened and the space soon filled with people. The smell of coffee wafted into the air and between conversations the sound of steaming milk filled the silences. Awkwardly standing in the corner, Taichi waited for the other digidestined to arrive.

The coffee shop had an interesting setup. In front stood a rectangular counter followed by rows and rows of tables and chairs. The far side had couches lined up in circular formations. The space seemed way too crowded for an open mic night. However the real mystery was in the back room. A small hallway to the right of the counter led to an enormous ballroom. There was a high-top bar lining the back wall and sets of chairs and tables facing the stage. Currently, all the artists for the open mic night were back there getting ready.

As Taichi examined the people sitting around drinking coffee, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. Turning, his eyes met with Sora's. The redhead wore the same welcoming smile on her face as always. Looking past her he saw the blonde-haired-beanie-wearing-in-the-summer fashion disaster known as Takeru and who can only be assumed to be Hikari on his arm in line at the counter.

"Hey Sora, long-time no-see. I gotta tell ya, your boyfriend's immense hair gel collection has only grown since the semester started" he said with a grin.

She giggled and pulled him into a hug. "Hello Tai, I see college hasn't matured you at all" she replied with a smile.

He scoffed. "I take offense to that. I'll have you know I started drinking coffee. And not the girly flavored thing I'm sure Hikari just ordered. Real coffee. Man coffee!" With that, he poked his thumb to his chest in a triumphant pose.

"I don't know onii-chan, this girly drink is much more delicious and comes in the same cup." Hikari teased as she walked up holding out her drink. Takeru was close behind with what can only be described as the sweetest drink on the menu, frozen and topped with whipped cream. It looked delicious, but Taichi's pride stopped him from heading over and ordering it for himself. Before he could comment back a ringing could be heard over a small speaker system followed by the announcement "If you are here for Open Mic Night, you may proceed to the back room."

"Well. Showtime. Let's head in. Hey Sora, when is Knife of Ramen going on?" Taichi asked as he ushered the other three toward the hallway.

"I think they're last. Aniki mentioned something about being the biggest divas, or having the most equipment, something like that" Takeru answered, holding a playful expression.

Rolling his eyes Taichi replied "Thanks _Sora._"

Making their way through the little crowd they managed to get seats along the high top bar on the back wall. Taichi couldn't complain; at least from this distance his ears won't bleed from the sheer loudness of the music. As the announcer walked onto the stage to introduce the first act, Taichi found himself zoning out. He needed a break, and sitting in a dimly lit room thinking about nothing at all was the best break he could get at the moment. A few acts went by. He clapped when he saw the others clapping but it wasn't until he heard the announcer say a specific name that he perked up and focused his eyes toward the stage.

"Let's give a warm welcome to our next performer. Playing her own acoustic rendition on the piano, Yuzuki!" As the announcer walked off, Taichi noticed a girl in the front stand up and head to the stage. Her hair was neatly curled and pulled back and she wore a beautiful green dress that flowed all the way to the ground. She looked a lot different than she did that night at the field.

He was staring, he couldn't help it. Feeling an elbow nudge him, he turned to see three pairs of eyes peering at him, questioning him. Shaking his head, he focused back on the stage.

She politely sat at the keyboard and set her sheet music up. Then, with a quick smile out to the audience, she began to play. She played with such confidence that she demanded the attention of everyone in the room. Her fingers floated over the keys and she went to her own world as she began singing the melody. Taichi recognized the song as some love song his mom loved listening to, except this time he actually listened to it. For some reason, when she played, he was more interested in the lyrics. Her voice was memorizing, he was scared if he looked away she would disappear, voice and all.

When her performance finally ended, he felt a little empty. Is this what Yamato feels like when he finishes a concert? The whole room clapped and as he looked to see where the girl had sat he met eyes with his annoyingly perceptive sister. Her look screamed _we're going to talk about this later. _

Taichi immediately put his head down only to hear Sora whisper "you should go talk to her."

Snapping his head to the side he noticed Sora sipping on some tea. When did she leave to get a drink? Was it during that performance? Oh no, did she see him staring?

He quickly turned to watch Yamato and "Teenage Wolves 2.0" set up for their performance. Maybe if he didn't acknowledge Sora then he could stall long enough that Yamato's band would start performing. Thankfully, for the first time in a long time, the universe was on his side. Yamato introduced his bandmates and they began playing a mix of their popular songs.

Unlike his other concerts, the crowd wasn't screaming the lyrics back. It was a nice change to be able to sit and enjoy the performance without hearing "I love you!" every 30 seconds. It gave Taichi the perfect time to plan his escape route. Embarrassing himself in front of a girl, his sister and some very close friends was not part of his Friday night plan. After careful thought, he decided to go with the oldest trick in the book: feigning exhaustion and getting the heck out of there before anyone questions anything.

Soon their number ended and the crowd clapped as the announcer thanked everyone. Hikari got up first and asked "So, do we want to head to the front and wait for Yamato?"

Takeru stood up immediately after and as Sora was gathering her purse they all turned to Taichi for confirmation. He quickly faked a yawn, really stretching his arms to play the part before nodding and heading toward the hallway. Hikari looked unimpressed.

Not really looking where he was going Taichi slammed into another body. Before completely tumbling to the ground, he managed to grab hold of the arm of his victim and pull them up. Before an apology could make it out of his mouth he was met with green eyes. The same green eyes from that night. Universe: 1. Taichi: 0.

Her face curved into a big smile as the words flowed out of her mouth. "We have got to stop meeting like this."

Taichi didn't notice the other pairs of eyes looking at him. "Yea, one of these days someone might actually get hurt."

They stood there for what seemed like forever until a cough from Takeru brought Taichi back to reality. With wide eyes and a slight blush he quickly let go of her arm and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh yea, we were here watching our buddy's band perform. These are my other buddies Sora, Takeru and my sister Hikari. Guys this is Yuzuki."

Yuzuki bowed politely and with a big smile replied "Hello, I'm Yuzuki Kinimoto. Very nice to meet everyone. I hope you enjoyed all the performances tonight!"

Hikari was the first to speak up "Oh it was lovely! You are a very talented pianist." Shifting her eyes toward the others in the group she continued "Hey Sora, would you like some more tea? I think Takeru and I would like some refills." Grabbing Takeru and Sora by the arms, she quickly led them toward the counter.

"See you in a few _buddy"_ Hikari whispered with a wink as she passed.

The redness in Taichi's cheeks had to be the equivalent of a tomato at this point. Damn Hikari, high school has made her mean.

"So…." he started.

"So…." she replied.

"Uh.. how are classes going? And football! How's that going?" He sputtered.

Despite how completely unsmooth he was being, she giggled. "They're going well. Very busy. The girl's team has been killing their season, so that's exciting. How about you?"

Gosh she was beautiful. So beautiful that Taichi had to work extra hard not to stare and to actually listen to what she was saying. Oh no what did she say? She's looking at him like she's waiting for a response. Before he could embarrass himself more he saw Yamato, guitar case securely wrapped around his shoulder.

Grabbing him and dragging him over to his side he quickly changed the subject. "Yamato! Great show! I really enjoyed your Knife of Ramen performance. This is Yuzuki, a friend. Yuzuki this was the buddy performing, Yamato."

Completely taken aback by Taichi's actions Yamato quickly regained his cool and bowed toward the girl. Yuzuki smiled and bowed slightly, completely ignoring Taichi's look of discomfort. "Pleasure to meet you Yamato. I'm Yuzuki Kinimoto. I really enjoyed your band's performance."

At the mention of her name Yamato's brows lifted slightly and he studied her face before responding. "Thank you, I enjoyed your song as well. You're talented on the piano." He paused a moment before adding "Kinimoto, was it? Did you by chance live in Highton View Terrace a few years back?"

Taichi watched the interaction as her eyes widened at the question. Quickly replaced with recognition, a huge smile appeared on her face. "Little 'Mato?! Is it really you? Wait, so does that mean that tall lunk over there is 'Keru?! Oh my gosh how are you?! What's it been, like 10 years?!"

"Something like that. Yea that's Takeru over there. He sure shot up over the years. I think he's taller than me now," he replied with a smile.

Taichi was bewildered by the whole thing. Yamato had friends before the digidestined? While they made more small talk Taichi couldn't grasp what was happening. Of course the only girl to ever make him feel "those feelings" was a girl who knew Yamato. His curiosity piqued.

"So.. you guys know each other?" He interrupted.

Yuzuki was the first to respond. "Yea, we were neighbors way back when. Little 'Mato and 'Keru would come over everyday and play superheroes with me."

"And if I recall correctly, you never let us save you. Something about 'A real woman can save herself' or whatever" Yamato finished. He took a second to look over at Taichi. A mischievous grin formed on his face at his next statement. "So.. how do you two know each other?"

Before Taichi could open his mouth Yuzuki answered. "I pelted him with a soccer ball the other night. And now that fate has decided to allow us to run into each other again, I was thinking of asking him out on a date. You know, because a 'real woman doesn't need to wait for a man to ask', and all that" She turned to look directly at Taichi. "Do you think he would say yes?"

Yamato turned back to Taichi waiting for a response. Oh, he was just loving this. It's rare he gets to torment Taichi the way Taichi tries to torment him everyday.

With a nervous gulp he responded "Yea, yea I would like that."

Smiling brightly Yuzuki perked up, "Great here's my number, let's plan for next Saturday night? If I recall, both football teams have morning games?"

Taichi looked at the piece of paper then back at the girl "Yea sounds good. I'll see you then."

"Awesome. Now unlike the guys team I do have a game in the morning, so I'm heading home. Yamato, it was great seeing you and I'd love to catch up. Taichi, can't wait for next week." Waving to Sora, Hikari and Takeru she turned and headed toward the door.

Taichi stared at the paper until he heard the door jingle signaling that she was, indeed, gone. Looking up at Yamato, he was met with a smirk.

"Shut up, _little 'Mato_." was his only response as they headed to meet with the rest of their group.

Yuzuki couldn't get home fast enough. Once the coffee shop door closed she sprinted as fast as her legs could take her until she saw her small brick building. Running up the stairs two-at-a-time, she reached for her keys and unlocked the door. With a bang, she slammed it shut and fell into it, trying to desperately catch her breath. Why? Why? WHY? The sheer panic she felt from the night's events were creeping back into her head.

She looked into the shadows of what would be her kitchen and yelled "Did you know this!? Did you know Yamato and Takeru were part of the destined?!"

A creature emerged from the shadow. It had red eyes and webbed feet. It was truly something out of a nightmare.

"I assure you the boss did not know of your connection with those digidestined" it croaked.

"How do you expect me to finish my mission if I have to _hurt _people I care about," she said through gritted teeth.

The creature, unfazed by her rage, simply replied "You know the consequences of not finishing your mission. It would be sad to tell the boss you have doubts. He doesn't give second chances you know."

Before Yuzuki could react she heard her partner cry "Lightning Paw!" And the creature disappeared into the darkness.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thanks Gatomon" left her lips.

The cat-like creature made its way to Yuzuki, simply hugging the girl's legs. "No problem, I hate those stupid Scubamon. We can still finish our mission without really hurting anyone, don't worry" the cat replied.

They stayed that way for awhile before Yuzuki finally moved toward the bedroom. Her problems will still be there in the morning. For now, she'll go to sleep and worry about the digidestined later.


	3. Chapter 3

He really shouldn't be here.

Looking over at Ryuji, chatting away with Chizuro while the rest of the team warmed up, Taichi sighed. How did he get into this situation? After the show, the plan was to stay up late with Yamato, play video games, negatively influence Takeru with a beer or two and pass out on the couch. He barely remembered Ryuji's text.

_Need a bro date for the girl's game 2morrow. U in?_

By the time he saw his phone Takeru was puking his guts out, Yamato went full mother hen mode in the bathroom with water and aspirin and somehow Daisuke was in the living room doing flips off the couch. When did he get there? With the disastrous state of his apartment, Taichi completely forgot about Ryuji's "bro date" request. Unfortunately for him, if you don't tell Ryuji no, he assumes the answer is yes.

Fast forward to 6 am, oh god who is pounding on that door? Or was the pounding in his head? Begrudgingly crawling out of bed, Taichi rubbed his eyes and groaned. Blurred vision restoring, he nearly tripped over tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, also known as Takeru and Daisuke. They were sprawled out on the living room floor in what can only be described as the most uncomfortable positions humanly possible. Is that Daisuke's foot Takeru is cuddling with? Taichi swears they started out on the couch.

Carefully stepping over the two boys he headed toward the noise. The incessant pounding never ceased, how did it not wake Yamato up? Opening the door Taichi was ready to punch whoever was on the other side. He was met with Ryuji, a bright smile on his face and coffees in his hands.

"Woah dude, you look like hell. What happened last night?" He blurted out.

Taichi gritted his teeth. "Why are you here?"

"The game. We're going. Glad I brought these." He held up the coffee cups. "It looks like you really need it!"

"I'm not going" was Taichi's only response. He went to slam the door, but Ryuji's damn foot blocked the way.

"Nah, you're going man, I need ya! How else will I get the balls to talk to Chizuro?" Ryuji urged with his all-too-chirpy attitude.

Glaring, Taichi swiped the first cup from Ryuji. He chugged the bitter liquid down and with a sigh he reached for the second cup. "If you want me to go I'm gonna need that." He growled.

Chuckling Ryuji handed him the cup with a simple "Deal. Now go get ready!"

So here he was: nursing a terrible hangover, leaning way too much on the chain fence for support, watching Ryuji shamelessly flirt with a girl and really hoping a certain someone won't notice his presence. Thankfully, _she _was too busy running warm up drills to even look at the stands and if she did look over, hopefully his disguise in the form of a hoodie and sunglasses would protect his identity.

With the sound of a whistle, both teams started lining up. Ryuji and Taichi headed up the stands and sat down. Taking a sip of his third cup of coffee, this one being the equivalent of dirt due to the concession stand he bought it from, Taichi decided to ditch the sunglasses and try to enjoy the game. It is a football game after all and maybe watching both teams play could take his mind off a certain defender sporting his home jersey.

Immediately they took control of the ball, passing it back and forth in zig-zag motions, until finally reaching the goal. With a quick flick of the ankle, the striker kicked the ball in the upper right corner of the net. By halftime the score was 2-0. Taichi was amazed at how well the team moved. The guys could learn a thing or two. His eyes wandered toward where #15 was grabbing some water. She was a beast on the field. No wonder she started as defender, if the ball were to come anywhere near her she made sure it didn't pass. Taichi wasn't sure the goalie even got the chance to touch the ball this half.

A smack on his back brought Taich back to reality. He looked over at a smiling Ryuji.

"Something tells me you don't regret me dragging you out here on our only Saturday off," he said with a wink.

Rolling his eyes, in an attempt to take away from his tinted cheeks, Taichi snorted. "Football is football. As far as I'm concerned you still owe me."

Ryuji gave him a knowing look. "Whatever you say dude."

Shifting uncomfortably, Taichi turned toward the field and watched the girls line up. Taking a sip of his coffee, he scoped the players for a certain brunette. He was met with green eyes and a bright smirk. Skipping into her position, she waved, quite obnoxiously, to him. He tried to ignore the fact that he had been caught, but turning he saw Ryuji waving back. Quickly grabbing his arm, he scanned the area to see if anyone had noticed the interaction. Thankfully, being a Saturday morning game, the stands were pretty bare. Taichi decided to ignore the snickering from beside him as he focused on the field. The whistling of the referee indicated the start of the second half.

As Taichi watched the game, he thought about all the relationships in his life. First, there was the longest-standing couple of Yamato and Sora. They've had their fair share of fights, and Taichi was the expert witness to most of them, but at the end of the day they always worked it out. Then, there was the "perfect" couple of Hikari and Takeru. The older destined always knew they would end up together, so it was no surprise when they announced their relationship almost a year ago. Takeru had been so terrified of Taichi's impending doom that he was literally shaking. It made Taichi laugh. Despite being so new, he looked up to them as a couple. They had a maturity to them that even Yamato and Sora couldn't hold up to. Then there was Mimi and Koushiro. That was quite a shock. They were both complete opposites in personality, but maybe that's how they ended up together. Honestly, Taichi thinks Mimi marched into Koushiro's office and declared their relationship status before he had a chance to veto, not that he would veto. Koushiro is 99% logic and 1% feelings, but that 1% has always had a soft spot for Mimi. Taichi didn't spend time with Miyako or Ken often, but he figured their relationship mirrored Koushiro and Mimi's. Miyako and Mimi are eerily similar and no man could actually hold dominance in a relationship with them. He really couldn't form an opinion on Jou's relationship either. He never met the girl and with medical school studies, Jou was a hard guy to keep up with.

Taichi never felt alone nor was he ever jealous of the relationships in his life. Heck, he was friends with everyone and those friendships filled his heart to the brim. But now, here, watching a girl he's become uncharacteristically smitten for, he felt like he was missing out on something. Deep in his own thoughts, he barely noticed the whistle signaling the end of the game. As the teams lined up to bow, he looked up at the scoreboard. 5-1. Dang, the girl's team is not one to be messed with.

Ryuji quickly interrupted his thoughts. "C'mon bro, let's go congratulate them! I'll need some back up talking to Chizuro."

Rolling his eyes, Taichi slowly stood up from the stands and put his sunglasses back on. He was hoping the shades would conceal his utter embarrassment when Yuzuki inevitably walked over to say hello. Taichi soon learned that was wishful thinking. At the bottom of the stands stood both Yuzuki and Chizuro, gym bags in their hands and smiles on their faces. Ryuji, giddy as ever, quickly skipped the last two steps and headed right over to greet Chizuro. Taichi watched as they animatedly talked about the game. Thinking that Ryuji definitely did not need his help, Taichi made his way over to the brunette waiting patiently with a bright smile on her face.

"Your one day off and you still managed to come to a morning football game. Are you crazy?" She giggled at her own joke and leaned over the fence.

Taichi hoped the shades hid his blush. "Well I can honestly say that wasn't the plan last night, but when a Ryuji-shaped alarm woke me up this morning, I didn't have much of a choice." Feeling the start of an awkward lull in conversation he quickly replied. "Great game though. I didn't realize how talented the girl's team was. We should do a scrimmage sometime."

At his comment she looked down at her feet then whispered "We as in our teams or we as you and me?"

Taichi swears he saw a small blush on her face, which only made his own cheeks darken more. Suddenly his shoes seemed incredibly interesting. Looking down he responded "I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to just us." with a smirk he continued "I am the best striker on my team though, so you have your work cutout for you."

Giggling she playfully punched his arm "Did you watch the game I just played? Because I believe it is you who has their work cut out for them."

Holding his arm in fake pain, Taichi looked around and noticed the field had been emptied, and Ryuji was missing. He should have expected that.

With a sigh, he looked at Yuzuki. "So, by the looks of it, I've been ditched. Need me to walk you home?"

He noticed an emotion cross her face, it almost seemed like fear, but was quickly replaced by her bright smile. "That's ok. I need to go shower and then I have a few errands to run before heading home." Looking him over she commented "Plus, it looks like you could use a nap."

Giving her a playful glare he responded "Hey now! Don't be rude. I could very easily cancel our date you know!"

Looking him right in the eyes, she took his hand and leaned in. Reaching towards his ear she whispered "You wouldn't do that. Something tells me you wanna go out as much as I do."

Before Taichi could react, she quickly let go of his hand and turned to walk away. Spinning back around one more time she blew a kiss and yelled "I'll see you in a week!" before running toward the locker rooms.

Mouth hanging open, Taichi was relieved that nobody was around to witness his utter lack of composure. Turning away from the field, he gradually walked home, hoping that Yamato was awake and making breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's another little chapter. Part 1 of the date. Cue awkward Taichi. I promise I'll start to uncover the mystery that is Yuzuki, but not yet. Thanks to everyone who has been reading this. It really means a lot!**

Why was it so hard to figure out what to wear? Taichi turned around to look at the mountain of clothing covering his bed. Every piece he ever owned had been thrown out of his closet for inspection. Nothing seemed good enough for tonight.

Leaning against his wall he sighed. Why was he worrying so much anyway? Anything will be better than what he wore the last time she saw him. His hoodie had stains, his sweatpants had holes and he was pretty sure Ryuji dragged him out the door before he could even brush his teeth. After witnessing that disaster, she still wanted to go out with him, so why was he stressing out now? This would be a lot easier with Yamato here, but no, he just _had _to take Sora out on their weekly movie date conveniently in Taichi's time of need. Trying to think quickly on his feet, he dialed the first person he could think of for fashion advice.

All it took was one ring. "Taichi dear! I haven't seen you in ages! How is college going? Koushy and I are having a grand time! Do you and Yamato want to kill each other yet?" Taichi's eye started to cross, but the voice continued. "Oh, did I tell you that Hikari and Takeru joined the school paper? And their first story is of my theatre debut! That's right, you're talking to a STAR! Now don't be rude dear tell me about you. How is your life going?"

Snapping back to reality, Taichi quickly replied. "Mimi! I don't have much time to talk. I need your help. It's important.."

The other line went quiet before Mimi responded "Oh? My help? Taichi dear, do you need my help with a _girl?"_ She held onto that last syllable for a few seconds too long and Taichi started to regret calling her.

With a sigh he replied "Yes, I have a date. Tonight. And she won't tell me what we're doing so I have no idea what I'm supposed to wear. Can you help me out?"

Taichi heard a giggle from the other end. "Wait, so she planned the date out? Did she ask you out too?" His silence on the other end was enough of an answer for her. Mimi burst into laughter. "OH. MY. GOD. Taichi, you made her ask you out?! I like this girl already. She turned our fearless leader into a scared little kitten. Oh, wait until Koushy hears about this."

Seething, Taichi whispered "So are you going to help me or not because I don't have the time-"

"Oh calm down Taichi, I'm only kidding." Mimi interrupted. "It's cute to see you something other than your obnoxious self. Wear a red shirt. Red looks good on you. And something with buttons, but no graphic tees! Pair it with a some khakis. No football shorts either mister! She won't be able to keep her hands off you!"

Blushing at the thought, Taichi thought about Mimi's advice. "Thanks Mimi" he replied with a smile

"No problem Taichi, now I need to hear ALL of the details afterwards. So I need you to call me as soon as the date is over! And the date better be over tonight because you are a gentleman Taichi and I don't want to remind you what a gentleman does and does not do on a date-"

"Alright Mimi, thank you bye!" Taichi yelled. Throwing the phone to his bed he looked over at the clock. The numbers read 5:15 pm. Crap! They planned to meet up at 5:45. Taking a dive into the pile of clothes he found a red button up shirt, though he's never worn it without a graphic tee before. Taking Mimi's advice to heart, Taichi put it on and buttoned it up. He felt like he was in high school again wearing his old, itchy uniform, but he had to admit Mimi knew what she was talking about and he looked nice. Throwing on his khakis and his nicest tennis shoes, Taichi headed out the door toward their meeting spot.

The practice fields weren't too far away from the apartment and the weather was cooling, which made for the perfect walk. Taichi had a few minutes to clear his head and calm down before meeting with Yuzuki. It was weird being nervous. As far as Taichi was concerned, nervousness was an emotion wasted on him. His crest was courage for goodness sakes! Yes, he had brief periods where his courage faltered, but this was different. This wasn't city-destroying or life-changing in any way. He couldn't potentially die from it, not like that's stopped him before. So why was going on a date with this girl so much scarier than facing Alphamon in an unstable Digital World?

Shaking off his nerves his thoughts shifted to Agumon and how he hasn't been to the Digital World much since classes began. Hikari and the younger kids tend to go weekly, but his schedule is too all over the place to just go. With the state of the world since Meicoomon, it wasn't necessarily a good idea to have the digimon here either. Sighing at his thoughts, he decided to visit Agumon later that week. Maybe he can convince Yamato to come with him.

Arriving at the practice field, he spotted someone sitting up in the stands. Her brown hair was down, flowing well past her shoulders in soft waves. She had a bright blue shirt tucked in neatly to a long floor-length skirt. To top it off, a football sat on her lap. When she saw him approach, her eyes brightened and she waved.

"If your date idea was playing a game of football, I'd say we're both a little overdressed" he chuckled. "Not that I wouldn't play right now."

Giggling she stood up and threw the ball at him. "No, someone left it on the field and I thought about kicking it around until you got here, but football and heels just don't seem to mix." Lifting her skirt slightly Taichi could see her little blue heel had mud on it.

"Didn't stop you from trying?" he asked with amusement in his voice.

"Didn't stop me from trying." Standing up, she grabbed his hand, making him drop the football, and led him out of the practice field. Reaching the sidewalk, she promptly turned left and led the way.

Thrown off by her actions, Taichi said nothing and let her lead, he was too focused on her hand. It was so soft, he felt terrible about his calloused and clammy hand, but thankfully she seemed completely unfazed.

Getting his voice back Taich asked "So. where are we going anyway?"

She spun around to face him. With a wink, she replied "It's a secret."

They continued to walk in silence until Yuzuki stopped. Taichi looked up to see they were at a small restaurant. By the look of the name, it was American cuisine, but Taichi had to admit English was not his best subject.

Looking at Yuzuki, he noticed a guilty expression on her face. "I hope you don't mind. They serve Japanese cuisine too, but I was in the mood for American barbecue. Also, this place is super fast, which gives us time for part 2."

Smiling, almost laughing, Taichi replied "Here's something you should know about me, if it's edible I'll eat it. Let's head in."

Guiding her into the restaurant he was greeted with the smell of something sweet and spicy. It made his stomach growl. The restaurant had a very laid-back vibe, with only 10 tables and a bar. The sign at the front told them to seat themselves, so Yuzuki took the lead and headed toward the back table. It must have been too early for dinner, because they were the only ones there. The waiter quickly approached and took the drink orders before handing them the menus and leaving. Taichi looked at the menu with slight confusion. He didn't recognize half of the pictures, but with Yuzuki excitedly suggesting 5 or 6 items, he decided to be safe and order a simple pork bowl.

Once the waiter walked away with the menus, Yuzuki turned and smiled. Taichi was nervously twiddling his thumbs under the table and when she finally spoke, he jumped in surprise.

"So I don't do this first date thing often, but I think this is the part where we get to know each other. Tell me about the great Taichi Yagami" She started with amusement in her voice.

Laughing nervously, Taichi blurted "Well I can't say I'm all that interesting. I lived in Odaiba growing up, you met my sister, Yamato is my roommate, and I eat, sleep and breathe football. How about you?"

Giggling she replied "Well, you just turned a 30 minute conversation into a 30 second one, but don't worry, my childhood was far from that simple." Looking down, she held a melancholic smile before continuing. "I was born in the states actually. I lived there until I turned 5, then my father took a job here in Japan where I was neighbors with Yamato and Takeru. I stayed in that home until about two years ago when I began traveling a bit and now I'm here. Like you, my only real hobby is football, but sometimes I like to take after my mother and sing a tune."

Taichi stared at her for a moment, trying to understand her reaction, but eventually brushed it off as nerves. "It must have been fun moving around so much. I can't say I've traveled much. I was briefly in France back in middle school, but I didn't really have time to look around."

Her eyes lit up at that statement. "Oh? Why were you there? I've always wanted to go!"

Realizing his mistake Taichi's eyes widened. He couldn't really tell this girl about world-threatening Digimon attacks! Quickly coughing, he stalled long enough for the food to arrive.

"Oh look the food's here! I'm so excited to try this!" He sputtered out.

Yuzuki scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "You mean you've never had a pork bowl before?"

"I mean I've never had one _here." _he replied, holding his goofiest grin.

Yuzuki burst into laughter. "Well aren't we adventurous. Hurry up and eat, or else we're gonna miss the second half of this date. And no, I will not tell you what it is."

Starting in on their food, Yuzuki shifted her eyes toward the back window of the restaurant. A series of shadowy movements were followed by a pair of big red eyes peering in on the couple. They were being watched. Yuzuki rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the figure, knowing that she will have to report something soon before the boss starts to retaliate. She looked back at Taichi and smiled, taking another bite of her food and enjoying the moment of peace.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am so sorry for taking a week off. My life has been a mess recently, but I am getting it together and writing new chapters! I am dropping to every two weeks for now just to make sure I have everything written ahead. I created Yuzuki years ago and I am thankful I can share her story with you readers. Well onto the story:**

Well the date wasn't going terrible. Taichi only put his foot in his mouth twice and almost exposed the digital world once. Compared to his other times around her, he had to admit those were fairly good odds.

After they finished their meal, Yuzuki waved down the waiter. As she reached for her wallet to pay, Taichi grabbed the bill out of her hand and gave the waiter his card. He was surprised by how cheap the meal was for the amount of food they ordered. Yuzuki glared back at him, but when she opened her mouth to speak, he spoke first.

"Oh come on, Have you ever been on a proper date before? The _gentleman _is supposed to pay." He took a half-bow at the table and with a smirk waited for her reaction.

Her eyes softened and with a smile responded "I have been on a date before you jerk." Looking at her watch, she noticed it was almost 7. Grabbing Taichi's hand along with her purse, she led them out the door and toward the bus stop. "Hurry! We don't want to be late!" she yelled behind her, dragging a bewildered Taichi along the sidewalk.

Once they reached the bus stop, Yuzuki let go of his hand and immediately checked her watch. "Good, we've got 5 minutes" she said between breaths.

Catching his own breath, Taichi looked at the girl "So, do I get to know where you're taking me?" he asked in his most sarcastic tone.

Sticking her tongue out she replied "Nope, you just gotta trust me."

They stood there for a few minutes until the bus rolled up. It screeched to a stop and the door slid open. Yuzuki grabbed Taichi's hand again and led him into one of the back seats. Taking the window seat, she leaned against him. Taichi felt himself stiffen at the new contact. Red cheeks tinting slightly she whispered "I get motion sickness, so I'm going to relax a little bit. Let me know when we're at the stop in Chofu?"

Softening his shoulders Taichi smiled. "Yea, of course I won't let us miss the stop. I _really_ want to know what you have planned."

With a smile, her eyes fluttered shut as she evened out her breaths. Taichi took the opportunity to look at his phone. He had 10 missed text messages: seven of them being from Mimi reminding him to be a gentleman on his date, one from Koushiro saying that Mimi wanted to remind him to be a gentleman on his date, one from Hikari asking how his night was going (followed by a winky face), and one from Yamato asking him to bring home milk if he wants crepes in the morning (followed by a comment on how there should not be any other visitors for breakfast). His friends really thought well of him apparently. Rolling his eyes he quickly responded to each message ensuring that every one of those assholes knew he was on his best behavior for the date.

After he clicked his phone shut, he settled in and looked over at the girl. She looked so peaceful with her eyes shut and head leaning against his shoulder. Her hair fell into her face and Taichi couldn't fight his urge to brush the few strands away and tuck them behind her ear. At his actions, she smiled and opened her eyes to look at him. "I'm not asleep you know" she whispered.

Eyes going wide, Taichi looked away. "I, uh, just wanted to let you know that we're almost at our stop."

With a short giggle. She lifted her head and looked out the window. Once the bus came to a complete stop, Taichi stepped into the aisle and let her lead. Never letting go of his hand, she led him off the bus and down the sidewalk. Chofu was as busy as ever. Quickly maneuvering around the crowd, Taichi realized where they were headed.

Stopping in the middle of a crowd, Taichi nearly yelled "Wait, are we watching FC Tokyo play?! I haven't seen them in years!"

Turning to laugh at his reaction Yuzuki grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. "Not if you keep stopping like that. Come on! We're running late."

Nodding at her statement, they began moving through the crowd until they reached the gate of Ajinomoto Stadium. Yuzuki pulled two tickets out of her purse and handed them to the ticket taker. After staring at the tickets for a minute, he scanned them. Looking up with a bright smile the man asked "Welcome Miss Kinimoto, shall we escort you to your seats?"

Waving her hand off she replied. "That won't be necessary. I know where to go. Thank you so much!" With a bow, she grabbed Taichi and led him up the stairs. Taichi was thrown off by that interaction. Nobody offers to escort someone at a football game. Before he had a chance to ask, Yuzuki pulled him toward a door. Quickly scanning her ticket, the door opened to a beautiful room. There were couches and chairs lined up, facing the back wall of windows. They had a perfect view of the midline and the teams were warming up. Taichi felt like he was 5 years old again at his first football game. A look of pure shock and excitement reflected on his face as he turned to look at the girl who was smirking at his reaction.

"Before you ask, no I did not pay a fortune for these seats. My father was an architect and helped update the new stadium. As a thanks, this is my family's box. We can use it whenever we'd like." She walked over to a closet where various jerseys were held. Grabbing a home jersey, she threw it at Taichi. "I'm guessing you're a size medium. Throw this on, you can't watch a football game without a jersey!"

Doing as he was told, he threw the jersey on over his shirt, Taichi watched as the girl put hers on over her attire. Picking the armchairs near the window, they watched the teams line up.

"This.. is… insane" Taichi whispered in complete awe.

Looking over, Yuzuki smiled at him. "So I take it, my attempt to impress you was a success?"

With a bright smile, Taichi turned and nearly yelled "Heck yea, I'm impressed! Oh my gosh if I had access to a room like this I would basically live here." He paused to look at the girl. She had a smile on her face, but her eyes portrayed another emotion. It looked like sadness. "Why does it look like you're having regrets about coming here?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came a deep breath she responded "I just haven't been here in awhile. I guess you could say I'm feeling nostalgic." Looking at Taichi's expression she knew he was expecting a better answer. Sighing she continued "My parents aren't around anymore, being here without them is a little weird." She quickly grabbed Taichi's hand. "But I don't regret taking you. This game will be a blast. I just felt a little sad, but I'm having fun I promise!"

Staring at each other they didn't notice the whistle signaling the start of the game. Both quickly turning away with crimson-colored cheeks, Taichi was the first to speak. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

She shrugged. "It's ok. It was years ago. I'm sorry I ruined the mood."

Chuckling he replied "You ruined nothing! The game's just started, come on let's watch." Lifting an arm he offered a spot right next to him. Accepting his offer, Yuzuki snuggled into his chest, squeezing into one armchair and turned her attention toward the field.

They stayed like that for the whole game. Even through half time, Yuzuki snuggled a little closer and watched the field. It was a comfortable silence, and Taichi was less likely to embarrass himself if he didn't talk, so when the final whistle blew, he found himself a little disappointed. Slowly getting up, Yuzuki looked up at Taichi before replying "We should probably head back. I think the last bus leaves in 20 minutes."

Trying to hide his disappointment he simply said "Sounds good." He went to take his jersey off before he was stopped by Yuzuki's hands.

"That's yours. Keep it" She replied as she grabbed his hand to lead him out of the room. Running down the steps, they quickly made their way to the entrance. Chofu was dead. Most of the shops were closed and the sun was completely set. As they made their way to the bus stop, Yuzuki couldn't stop yawning.

"Tired?" Taichi asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"A little. I may actually take a nap on the bus ride home this time. Can I count on you to protect me?" She asked with a wink.

He smiled back. "Of course."

As the bus arrived, they grabbed seats in the back like before. Yuzuki snuggled up against Taichi and closed her eyes. Taichi noticed how less awkward he felt this time, he was comfortable. Grabbing his phone again, he looked at his missed text messages. There were only two this time. One from Mimi asking how it was going and one very serious text from Yamato asking where he was. Looking at the time, he realized it was much later than when he said he would be home.

Quickly typing he replied _We went to a football game. On the bus ride back now. I'll be home within the hour. _

Watching as the dots crossed the screen he was met with a reply _Good._

Lesson 1 of living with Yamato: he is more overbearing than an overprotective mother. Chuckling at his own thought he nudged Yuzuki awake and led her off the bus at their stop.

"So.. I'm walking you home. Which way?" Yuzuki went to protest, but Taichi cut her off "I'm not taking no for an answer, so either I walk you home or I walk you to my home, in which case you will be sleeping on the couch, so: which way?"

Playfully glaring, Yuzuki began to lead. As they passed the practice fields, Taichi noticed that they were heading in the same direction as his apartment. She couldn't live too far from him. Walking up to a brick apartment building, Yuzuki stopped.

She looked up, staring into his eyes. "This is where we part ways."

He gulped. "Guess so. I had a blast tonight. Would love to do it again."

She smiled as her gaze shifted downward. "Can't wait."

He found himself staring. "I guess I need to head home then."

She grabbed his hand. "But first.." Shifting her weight and standing on her toes, she reached up and gently caressed her lips onto his. He froze for a moment before finally returning the kiss. The world stopped as the two stood in front of her door, enjoying the intimacy of their contact. It didn't; take long before the kiss became more urgent. Taichi wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He swears he heard a gasp before she wrapped her own arms around his shoulders. The kiss lasted several seconds before they stopped to catch their breath.

"I'm sorry about that" he quickly replied between breaths.

She looked a little shocked by his apology. "No, no, no I'm sorry. I, uh didn't mean to act that way." Her cheeks were tinted red.

"Well I seriously should head home. I'm sure Yamato is awake and ready to question me."

"Yea, yea sounds good. I can't wait to do this again." She met his eyes with a smile.

"Me neither" He responded softly. "Goodnight."

As he turned to leave, he heard a "Goodnight!" followed by the opening and closing of a door.

Enjoying the rest of the walk home, he reached his apartment in no time. Slowly turning the key in the lock he carefully tried to sneak into the dark entryway. He didn't get very far before Yamato, sitting in the living room, spoke up.

"I'm assuming you didn't grab any milk?"

"Uh, no I forgot. Don't worry, I'll make breakfast tomorrow!"

The silence from Yamato indicated that there was more he wanted to hear.

Sighing Taichi sat down on the couch. Staring at his knees, he whispered "Dude, I think I'm in love."

Closing her door, Yuzuki fell to her knees as the tears began to fall.

"Yuzuki, what's wrong?!" BlackTailmon panicked, immediately standing at her side.

"I don't think I can do this Tailmon. I can't hurt him." She sobbed.

The cat-like Digimon panicked. "Why? What happened?"

The words left her mouth in a quick whisper. "I think I'm falling for him."


	6. Chapter 6

**I want to thank everyone who has supported the story. I think posting every two weeks is someting I can keep up with so bear with me. Now, onto the drama!**

3 had been seeing Yuzuki for 3 weeks, though it felt like forever. He was absolutely head over heels for the brunette. She was smart, funny, and found ways to get along with every important person in Taichi's life. She cooked with his mom, watched sports with his dad, went shopping with the girls, played video games with the guys, and she even went as far as to bring coffee to Jou during one of his weekend studying marathons. Taichi was convinced he found the perfect girl.

He was in the middle of getting ready for Yamato's and Sora's weekly movie date, which recently became weekly double date with Taichi and Yuzuki, when he heard a knock at the door. Walking toward the sound he yelled "I thought I told you I would come pick you up- Oh, Takeru what are you doing here?"

Takeru, kneeling over slightly to catch his breath, looked completely disheveled. His hair was stuck to his cheeks and sweat beads gathered around his temples. However what worried Taichi the most was the fierce look of determination on the blonde's face. Taichi immediately led him to the kitchen table.

"Takeru, what's going on? Is it Hikari?" he asked.

Taking off his beanie and shaking his head, Takeru simply said, "We need to call a meeting. Now."

Eyes going wide, Taichi reached for his phone and quickly sent a text out, telling Yuzuki something came up and he'd explain later. He could tell by Takeru's look, and unwillingness to disclose information yet, that it was important. Going into full leader mode, he messaged everyone and told them to meet at the park by the elementary school. No exceptions.

The walk to the park was silent as Taichi tried to decode Takeru's expression. Something was clearly bothering the kid. It was so unlike him to completely put his defenses down and mope. Thinking it was best not to say anything, Taichi stared ahead as the park came into view.

Most of the destined were already waiting on them. The only one's missing were Ken, Daisuke, and Miyako. It seems they were on the other side of town and would be late, but gave the okay to start without them. Hikari immediately walked over and slipped her hand in Takeru's before pulling him toward the swings where they sat.

Yamato was the first to speak "Taichi, what are we doing here? Are Gabumon and the others okay?"

Shrugging Taichi said, "Don't look at me. Your brother showed up at our place requesting I called a meeting, I was just following orders."

Eight pairs of eyes looked toward the blonde on the swing.

He sighed. "I don't want to upset anyone" pausing to look toward his shoes "but I don't think Yuzuki is who she says she is." Immediately turning to Taichi, he continued "I ran into her at the coffeehouse earlier and everything seemed normal, but then something weird happened. She grabbed her ankle, like she was in pain and I saw that she had a tattoo-"

"She has a tattoo? So what? Yamato has a tattoo on his ribcage nobody knows about." Taichi interrupted defensively. All eyes shifted to the older blonde.

Quietly fuming, Yamato replied "Thanks Taichi, now everyone knows."

Takeru stood up from the swing. Forcing the words out, his voice progressively getting louder "Taichi, her tattoo was the crest of light. It was clear as day. And there's no way that's a coincidence. What if she's after Hikari?"

All wide eyes turned toward Taichi, whose face lost all color. The silence suffocated the group as everyone processed what Takeru just said. Hikari spoke first "Onii-chan."

Snapping out of his daze, Taichi smiled towards his sister. "It's fine. I'm fine."

Sora and Yamato walked over and put their hands on his shoulders. "Oh Taichi.." Sora whispered. They stood like that for a minute until Hikari gasped and grabbed her head.

"Hika what's wrong?" Takeru immediately knelt to the girl, full panic was setting in on his face. Jou headed over with his medical kit and started feeling her forehead for a fever. Entering big brother mode, Taichi headed toward his sister when a voice stopped him midstep.

"Well looks like the jig is up. It sucks, I was having such a fun time."

Looking toward the voice, he saw a girl, lazily sitting on top of the slide. She looked like a complete stranger, but when her green eyes met his, there was no mistaking it. Hurt crossed Taichi's face. Clenching his teeth and balling his hands into fists, he muttered "Why?"

"Why what? Why did I date you? Why did I befriend all of you? Why am I about to attack you?" Poking her chin with her finger and looking toward the sky, she frowned slightly. "The answer is simple: I need to protect something very important to me and the only way to do that is to destroy you." She shifted her gaze toward Taichi once again, eyes full of sincerity. "I am truly sorry it had to come to this... Ladydevimon!"

From behind the trees a human-shape figure appeared. Flying high over the chosen kids, she curled her arms in, preparing to attack.

"Take cover!" Taichi yelled, running toward Takeru and Hikari.

"Yuzuki, you don't have to do this! We can help you!" Mimi shouted. Koushiro was typing away on his laptop beside her.

Smiling at her comment, Yuzuki quietly replied, "You can't help me. I made my choice a long time ago, and I can't change it now." Looking at Ladydevimon, she nodded and turned away.

"Darkness Wave!" the fallen angel shouted. Taichi closed his eyes and held Hikari and Takeru close, waiting for the attack to hit. But it never did. Confused he looked up to see bright red and white feathers.

"I'm glad we were running late. This meeting looks like it was a disaster!" A voice hollered.

Turning towards the voice, Taichi was met with Miyako, Daisuke and Ken. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding Taichi hollered "Boy am I glad to see you guys!"

Looking slightly embarrassed Miyako replied "Yea, sorry about the grand entrance, we were worried about running late and given it was nighttime, Anquilamon seemed like the perfect ride!"

On that note, the bird creature lifted up off the ground and faced its enemy. Looking less than pleased, Ladydevimon flew toward the creature, leaving more space between them and Yuzuki. The standoff was soon interrupted by Anquilamon yelling "Grand Horn!" ad he charged the fallen angel. Ladydevimon dodged the bird, grabbing a talon as it passed and spinning before throwing it toward the ground. Anquilamon fell towards the chosen, but soon caught himself before fully hitting the playground. Ladydevimon prepared for her second attack when she was interrupted.

"Yes, I got the server running, our digimon are on their way!" Koushiro yelled. Soon specks of light began shooting out of the laptop. Yuzuki's eyes widened in panic.

Standing up from her spot on the slide she yelled "Ladydevimon! We're done here. Let's go." The fallen angel flew toward the girl, quickly grabbing her off from the slide. As they turned to fly away, Takeru stood up. "Oh no you don't!" he yelled as Patamon flew toward them yelling "Boom Bubble!"

The attack made contact with Yuzuki's right leg and threw Ladydevimon off course. As the steadied themselves, Yuzuki's boot came flying off exposing what Takeru described earlier. There it was. Clear as day. The crest of light tattooed on her right ankle, but something was weird about the tattoo. It was glowing. A pink light shone out of the tattoo, and it was growing. As the light shone brighter, Yuzuki grabbed her ankle, clearly in pain. Taichi ran toward the flying duo, but it failed as they soon disappeared from sight.

Feeling Agumon hug his leg, Taichi turned towards the rest of the group. Hikari was standing up, hugging Takeru, Jou still checking the two for injuries. Mimi and Palmon were crying in each other's arms with Koushiro typing away on his laptop. Iori, Daisuke, Miyako and Ken were huddled close, trying to discuss what they had just witnessed. Yamato and Sora were heading his direction, probably trying to figure out how to console him.

Before anyone reached him, he spoke up. "I'm going after her."

Yamato spoke first. "Taichi are you crazy? The girl just tried to kill us and admitted that this was all some ruse. Look man, I'm sorry, this sucks, but it was all FAKE. She doesn't need rescuing, she needs to be stopped."

Taichi grabbed Yamato's collar and pulled him close. Seething with rage, he balled his hand into a fist, ready to punch. Then he met eyes with Sora, her mothering grin gone and tears in her eyes.

Slowly letting go, he looked at the ground and sighed. "She said she didn't have a choice, that she had to protect something and this was the only way. And did you see her tattoo? It caused her pain." He looked up at his friends. "Look, I'm heartbroken, I'm not too pigheaded to admit it, but her eyes told a different story and I'm not going to sit here when she might actually need my help."

Before anyone else could speak up he turned around. "As your leader, I'm asking you to trust me. C'mon Agumon. We're going."

The others stood dumbfounded as Taichi's figure walked out of view. Yamato gained his composure first. With a sigh, he turned toward the others and yelled "Well you heard him. Let's regroup at my place. I trust Taichi to find out what's happening."


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm slowly getting things written for you guys. I appreciate all the love I've received so far. This story was always written for me so I never expected anyone to read it. It's a very nice surprise. Now, onto the drama!**

The pain was too much to handle. Yuzuki grabbed her ankle as her toes began to numb and her leg began to spasm. Ladydevimon flew quickly and quietly into the night, periodically looking down at her partner with worry in her eyes. Reaching the backyard of the brick building, Ladydevimon hid under a tree before looking again at her partner.

"Are you going to be ok? Can you walk?" She whispered. Yuzuki quickly nodded as the digimon let go of her. Flinching upon making contact with the ground, Yuzuki held her hand up, signaling that she was fine, and quickly slid her other boot off her foot. Limping toward the front of the building, Ladydevimon quickly returned back to BlackTailmon and followed her.

Slowly, Yuzuki took her keys out and unlocked the door. As she slid it open, a webbed hand grabbed her arm and dragged her into the apartment. She fell onto the wooden floor with a bang.

"Yuzuki!" BlackTailmon yelled, running to her partner's side. Yuzuki looked up to find multiple pairs of red eyes staring her down. The closest Scubamon stepped forward to speak.

"I warned you that there would be consequences for failing to fulfill your mission" it croaked. Turning to look in the direction of the door, BlackTailmon felt two Scubamon grab her arms as a third walked up to Yuzuki's leg. It quickly reached and grabbed for her glowing tattoo. As its grip tightened, Yuzuki yelled and began to thrash. Multiple Scubamon held her limbs down. As the pain traveled up her body, Yuzuki fought to stay conscious, knowing that blacking out would send her straight into the depths of hell where their master resided.

As black dots invaded her vision, she stopped resisting. Before closing her eyes completely, she saw a flash of light, almost like fire, and felt the Scubamon let go of her. Drifting off to sleep, she feared she would wake up in a world of grey.

When Taichi heard the yelling, his determined walk turned into a full sprint. Reaching her building, he saw the door was cracked. Putting his full weight on the wood, he thrust it open completely, knocking a few Scubamon out of the way. Agumon was not far behind him, sliding past Taichi he hollered "Pepper Breath" and immediately knocked the Scubamon away from Yuzuki. BlackTailmon quickly shimmied out of the grip she was held in and began attacking the remainder of the enemy.

At the sight of the two digimon, multiple Scubamon backed away into the kitchen.

"We'll leave for now, but do note that the master will make an appearance eventually." One croaked as they disappeared.

Taichi was at Yuzuki's side instantly. Thankfully, old reliable Jou made sure all the chosen could perform simple medical tasks like checking for pulses and CPR. Feeling her neck, he felt a pulse. Her breaths were short and erratic, but she seemed stable enough to move. He felt her flinch when he hooked his arms under her and gradually stood up.

He turned to BlackTailmon. "I don't care what happened earlier. She needs help so I'm helping her. You're free to come, but know that we're gonna need some answers." His voice sounded cold, but his eyes were full of worry. BlackTailmon nodded and followed him out the door, locking the apartment as they passed. Walking down the steps carefully, Taichi looked up to see a car parked along the road, lights still on. The driver side opened up the door to reveal a surprisingly calm Jou.

"Yamato gave me the address. I had a feeling you could use my help." He spoke as he walked around to open the backseat. Sighing with relief, Taichi placed the girl carefully in the vehicle, BlackTailmon hopping in right after. Jou turned toward the girl to check on her. After feeling for a pulse and checking for any broken bones, Jou turned back to Taichi.

"She should be fine. It seems she passed out from stress. If she doesn't wake up by morning, then we'll take her to the hospital."

Taichi visibly relaxed his shoulders and climbed into the passenger side. Agumon jumped in the back with BlackTailmon. Jou climbed into the driver's seat side and reached for the keys. Before turning them in the ignition, he looked toward Taichi. The brunette was an absolute mess, hair matted to his face from sweat and eyes wide with worry. Staring straight at his knees, it looked like at any moment he would snap.

Deciding it was best not to talk, Jou started the car and headed toward the apartment where everyone else resided. The silence was suffocating; it made the drive feel much longer than 8 minutes, but Taichi couldn't will himself to talk. He was still processing the night's events. He was so in his thoughts he didn't hear the car stop. It wasn't until Jou grabbed his shoulder that Taichi was aware of their arrival.

Quickly getting out of the car and picking up the unconscious girl, Taichi headed into their building. Walking toward the elevator, he cradled her closer into his neck. She seemed so fragile right now. He knew Jou said she was physically fine, but she looked so helpless and miserable. It made Taichi's heart ache.

When the elevator opened up, Yamato was waiting in the hall for them. Turning toward them, Yamato's eyes widened. Taichi looked like he was on the brink of tears carrying a clearly unconscious Yuzuki. What was even more worrisome was how calm Jou was. Jou has three levels depending on the seriousness of the situation: mild panic, anxiety overload, then the worst of all, complete calmness. If Jou was calm, then there was something to worry about.

Quickly opening the door to their apartment, Yamato ushered them in. Taichi looked straight ahead as he whispered "I'm going to lay her down in my room." before completely ignoring the other 9 people and digimon in the living room and heading toward the back hallway. BlackTailmon looked around defensively before running after him.

Jou collapsed in the nearest armchair and graciously took the cup coffee Sora offered him. Taking a sip, he noticed that all eyes were on him. Setting his cup back on the table he sighed. "I don't know what happened. Taichi won't tell me anything. I pulled up to the apartment and he came out with her in his hands. Hasn't said a word since."

Walking up behind the armchair, Yamato added "I don't think he's going to until she wakes 're all welcome to stay if you'd like to wait. I'll order some takeout." He quietly walked toward the kitchen.

Everyone stayed silent until Hikari spoke up, carefully petting a sleeping Tailmon in her lap. "I just can't shake the feeling that she and I are connected in some way. Did you notice her partner? It was a Tailmon. And with her tattoo…I.. I just wish there was a way to help her."

Wrapping his arm around Hikari, Takeru noticed the collective worry for their friend. Thinking quickly on his feet, Takeru yelled "Aniki, come here!"

Yamato appeared behind the counter with a look of confusion. Receiving a mischievous smile in return, Takeru inquired "I remember hearing about a secret tattoo, well if you don't mind, dear Aniki, I think we would all love to see it."

Glaring at his "precious" little brother, Yamato opened his mouth to reply, only to notice everyone else in the room staring at him. Cheeks tinting, he huffed as his fingers lifted his shirt. Ending right above his rib, everyone looked to see the thin blue lines decorating his body. It was simple, a circular shape with two points on the end, followed by what looked like Gabumon's pawprint. To the naked eye it meant nothing, but to them it perfectly captured their longtime adventures.

"The crest of friendship, it's very nice Yamato. Why didn't you want us to know?" Hikari asked.

Rolling his eyes, he lowered his shirt. "Taichi and I celebrated getting our own place together by going out, I woke up to this. Taichi vaguely remembered suggesting it, but he fortunately was clean of ink. It's not like anyone would see it, so I didn't bother talking about our drunken escapades."

A collective chuckle could be heard around the room, only to be interrupted by the sound of running down the hall. Taichi appeared out of the hallway.

"Jou, she's waking up" he said between pants. Jou quickly stood up and followed Taichi, leaving a room filled with worried looks behind.


	8. Chapter 8

**I finally got some chapters typed for you! Thank you for waiting patiently as I sorted out my life. Now, cue the drama!**

Chapter 8

Darkness.

That's all Yuzuki could remember after being attacked by the Scubamon. Did she end up in the other world?

Slowly opening her eyes, she noticed two figures standing over her in a dimly lit room. Realizing her worst fears had come true, she began to thrash, hoping to escape their clutches.

"Yuzuki, calm down!" one of the demons yelled.

"We need to calm her down before she hurts herself!" the other called back.

"Let go of me!" she yelled at the monsters. Making her hand into a fist, Yuzuki swung at the creature to her left. As her fist made contact with its stomach, the creature doubled over in pain. The second enemy grabbed at her arm and quickly crawled on top of her, holding both her arms and legs down.

Moving its hand and placing it on her cheek, the creature spoke softly. "Yuzuki, calm down. You're safe."

At those words, Yuzuki stopped moving. She noticed the lack of webbing on the hand caressing her cheek. She noticed the soft, sandless bed she was laying on. She noticed the light glossing over the blues walls, filled with color and not resembling the grey world she feared. Last of all, she noticed the figure above her, brown eyes and spiky hair, looking down at her with worry in his eyes.

"Taichi?" she whispered.

He let out a breath and relaxed his shoulders. "Yea. How are you feeling?"

Confusion still apparent on her face, she spoke "I'm ok, but uhh, why are you on top of me?" Her cheeks began to redden.

Noticing the compromising position they were in, Taichi quickly hopped off the bed and looked away, his own cheeks mimicking hers. "You were a little frantic, so I got on top of you to hold you down until you came to your senses. Though not before you got a good swing at Jou."

"Who is fine by the way, thanks for asking." A voice grumbled from the floor. Moments later Jou stood up. He quickly fixed his glasses and gave the girl a stern look. "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

Taking a deep breath, Yuzuki shook her head. Quickly turning to Taichi, she asked "Why am I here? Where's Tailmon?"

At the mention of her name, BlackTailmon hopped onto the bed. Yuzuki sat up as the cat nestled into her lap. "I was worried about you." she whispered. "The Scubamon attacked us and they were going to send you to that place. I couldn't do anything to help. Thankfully this human and his Agumon saved us."

Yuzuki felt her eyes water. Keeping her face hidden, she muttered "Why?"

Taichi looked at the girl, exhausted and helpless, she looked so frail.

He turned to Jou. "Why don't you go tell everyone what happened. We'll be right out."

Jou nodded and turned away. As he left the room and closed the door, Taichi moved toward the distraught girl and slowly sat at the edge of the bed. Yuzuki flinched as the mattress lowered to accompany the new weight. She refused to look up.

Their silence ended when Taichi finally spoke "Was any of it real?" His voice seemed strained.

Shocked, Yuzuki snapped her head up. "Of course it was!" Pausing to look back down at the sleeping BlackTailmon she whispered "I mean it didn't start out real, but I couldn't stop myself from falling for you." Her cheeks tinted. "That's probably what angered the Scubamon."

She looked back up at Taichi. He looked completely deflated. Reaching for his hand, she squeezed it tightly "I'm sorry. I made a whole mess of things."

With a sigh, Taichi squeezed her hand in return. "There's 11 people in the living room hoping for some answers. Let us help you. What do you need to protect?"

Yuzuki's eyes began to widen again. Pulling her hand away. "You can't help me. None of you can." Her voice grew more frantic. "If I don't do what he says then he's going to-" She began to shake slightly, using all her energy to hold back tears.

Taichi grabbed the girl by her arm, pulling her into a hug, disturbing the sleeping digimon. "Shh shh it's ok."

She couldn't hold it in any longer as she began sobbing into his shoulder. Sliding her arms up his back, she pulled him closer. BlackTailmon squeezed away from the two humans. As she reached the other side of the bed, she watched her partner completely break down, something she hadn't done in years. There was something special about the holder of the crest of courage. He reached a part of Yuzuki she had closed off years ago.

The two stayed like that for awhile until a knock at the door broke their trance. The knob turned as the door slid open revealing Sora.

"Everyone is getting ready to head home for the night to get some rest. Yamato and I will be out in the living room if you need us. I brought some tea." She tiptoed in and gave Taichi a sympathetic look as she set the mug on the nightstand. Looking over at the clock Taichi realized it was after 10pm. No wonder everyone was heading home, they had been sitting out there for over an hour.

"Thanks Sora, I think we're gonna rest tonight and-"

"No." a shaky voice interrupted. Shocked, Taichi looked down to see its source. Yuzuki had puffy, red eyes, but her face was firm. "As much as I don't want to, you guys deserve to know. You'll need to protect yourselves. And who knows when the Scubamon will come back." She took a deep breath. "I'll talk."

Taichi was at a loss for words. He turned to Sora for confirmation. With a quick nod, she replied "Alright. I'll tell the others to stay. Taichi, why don't you give her a change of clothes. Are you hungry Yuzuki? We ordered food and despite Daisuke and Takeru inhaling half of it, there's still some left."

Yuzuki just shook her head. "The tea is fine thank you."

Looking down at the girl with a small smile, Sora replied "Ok, you just come out whenever you're ready."

As she left, Taichi stood up and walked over to his closet. Pulling out some sweats and a football shirt, he tossed them onto the bed. "These should fit well enough. Take your time. I'll be right outside the door." He took one last glance at the girl. Her eyes were dull, empty. She looked exhausted, like she would pass out at any moment. He thought about forcing her to rest, but his team needed answers, and he worried that she really needed their help. Sighing one last time, he carefully opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

"You look like shit." Taichi snapped his head up. Yamato was leaning against the wall. He could hear furniture being moved in the living room as everyone situated themselves again.

"Yea, well it's not everyday your girlfriend tries to kill you, only to need saving when she's attacked by Scubamon herself" he joked.

Yamato opened his mouth to respond, only to close it when the door began to creak open. Yuzuki appeared, hair thrown up in a bun, wearing Taichi's somewhat baggy clothes, and holding BlackTailmon. She refused to look at Yamato, or anything other than the ground for that matter. Taichi wrapped his arm around her as Yamato led them to the living room.

The room had been rearranged. The couches and chairs had been pushed as far back as they could. The floor was littered with blankets and sleeping bags as everyone sat around. There were two empty spots next to Yamato's and Sora's blanket nest. As Taichi led Yuzuki to their designated spot, he noticed how hard everyone was trying to not look at them. Hikari kept sneaking glances their way while talking with Takeru. He could see the worry in his sister's eyes.

Finally sitting down where they were told, Yuzuki reached for a blanket and slowly wrapped it around her shoulders. She never looked up from the ground.

"It's a long and complicated story. Are you sure you guys are ready for it?"

Hikari sat up and slid over to the girl. Placing her hands on Yuzuki's knees, she whispered, "Please talk to us and let us help you."

Yuzuki nodded and Hikari slid back over and sat next to Takeru.

Sighing, Yuzuki started, "Ok, BlackTailmon and I became partners when I was 10 years old."


	9. Chapter 9

**So I'm incapable of hurting my poor chosen, but my OC can totally have the most dramatic backstory ever. It's just how it is. But seriously, I created this character in middle school and 10ish years I'm trying to preserve that image, so I may be less dramatic now, but come on, who doesn't love drama? Enjoy part 1 of "emotionally torturing my OC and Taichi too because he likes her."**

"_Mom? Dad? Where are you?" a 10-year-old girl yelled out. The streets were bustling with people just moments ago, but once the monsters appeared, everyone vanished. She stared at the ground where her parents once stood, slowly realizing that only the wind would answer her calls._

"My father accepted a new job and so during summer break in 1999 we were looking for apartments closer to Odaiba." She paused to look around before whispering "In August."

As realization hit the group, the older kids shared glances among each other. Hikari began to fidget nervously, silently worrying that her gut feeling was more than just a feeling.

With a sigh, Yuzuki continued. "It happened so fast. The sky darkened and we heard people scream. I remember my father grabbing my arm, pulling me into an alleyway and telling me to hide and stay quiet. I remember seeing these ghost-like creatures grabbing people left and right. I mean, I know now they were digimon…" she paused at the thought. "I closed my eyes and once the noises stopped I realized the monsters were gone. For some reason I wasn't taken and I had these in my pocket." She held out her hand revealing two small items. The first, being recognizable by everyone in the group. It was a small digivice, the model similar to that of the older kids, but the second item caught more attention. It was a necklace, with a charm on the end and symbol engraved on the charm.

Everyone peered over at the necklace. "Is that.. a crest?" Sora whispered.

"How?" Takeru echoed.

All questioning eyes shifted back to Yuzuki.

Cheeks burning, she put her hands up defensively. "I don't know why I still have it. I just do."

"What does it mean?" Hikari murmured. She was fascinated by the symbol engraved on the burgundy charm. It looked eerily similar to her crest, but it was rounder and had more points along the outside. Yuzuki defensively pulled away from the onlookers and tightened her grip on the object.

"I'll get to that," Yuzuki grumbled. "Anyway, I met up with Tailmon not long after. Turns out she was the one protecting me the whole time. She's been by my side ever since" She smiled and rubbed her hand against her partner.

Looking up from his laptop Koushiro had a puzzled expression. "But the digital gate closed and stayed that way for years, how could you and BlackTailmon possibly have been together this whole time?"

Yuzuki shrugged. "I'm not sure. That's just how it's been. I don't remember much after that. I know that was a pretty prominent event for all of you, but after being reunited with my family, we went home and my father decided against moving to Odaiba. It wasn't until years later I would see the digital world for myself. That's when the real trouble started."

She shuddered at the thought. Taichi quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a side hug.

"We just want to help" he murmured.

She quickly leaned into his embrace before taking a sip of her tea and continuing.

"Not long after my 14th birthday, my health began declining. I started getting these intense migraines that would take days to go away. My parents worried I was too stressed, but soon that theory was proven false when the seizures began." She chuckled darkly. "I was hospitalized for awhile. Nobody could figure out what was causing them. It wasn't until I received a message from someone named Gennai that I began realizing that my problem may be less physical and more digital. After opening the message, Tailmon and I discovered a gate open on my laptop and took the advantage to sneak away."

_Yuzuki grabbed at her knees and hunched over as she tried to catch her breath. Within seconds of landing in the grass path, she and Tailmon were swarmed by digimon with red eyes. They took off running until they found cover in a nearby cave. _

"_I thought you said the creatures of this world were friendly" Yuzuki gasped between breaths. _

_Tailmon peered out toward the entrance of the cave before replying "They are. I'm not sure what happened, but something has changed. We need to find Gennai. Now!"_

_Nodding at her partner, Yuzuki took off toward the direction Gennai gave them. It didn't take them long to reach the edge of a lake that seemed to go on for miles._

"He was much different than I had expected. Young, human-looking; the complete opposite of anything I thought I would encounter in the Digital World" she chuckled. "But he had a lot of answers."

Sliding her hand into the sweatpants pocket, she snagged the crest once more and set it on the floor in front of her.

"This crest wasn't made with the others. After the incident, separating light from the rest, it was decided by the higher ups, whoever they are, that there needed to be extra protection. A safety net of sorts, ensuring that light and darkness don't fully collide, or worse."

Looking up at Hikari, she slid the trinket across the floor. Reaching down slowly, Hikari picked up the object to examine it, with Takeru peering over her shoulder.

"Notice anything unique about the symbol?" Yuzuki asked. Eyes began following her line of sight to the two teenagers carefully looking at the crest.

Hikari spoke first in a whisper. "It looks like the crest of light."

"But more… symmetrical?" Takeru finished.

Daisuke leaned over Takeru's shoulder to look at the object.

"Honestly, it looks more like the crest of courage than the crest of light." He shrugged back to his spot.

Yuzuki chuckled. "Well given its purpose, I think the design makes sense."

The crest was passed along until it fell into Sora's hands. Tenderly feeling the trinket with her fingers, she asked "So what exactly does this symbol mean? It looks similar to the symbols for courage and light, but it must be something different, right?"

Reaching out, Yuzuki carefully took the crest from Sora."Balance."

"Balance? I thought the crests symbolized a personality trait. Is balance really a personality trait?" Daisuke inquired.

"Is light a personality trait?" Yuzuki shot back.

"Touche" Daisuke whispered, looking away.

"Like I was saying," Yuzuki grumbled. "My purpose was to balance the scales. I was the one thing keeping both sides from colliding. An unfortunate side effect being my seizures. Almost like a virus, every time darkness attacked, I would suffer."

Sliding the sweatpants up, she revealed the pink ink decorating her ankle. "This was a countermeasure. I don't really know how it works, but from that day on this tattoo has stopped my sent me back after that and warned me that the time would come where I would have to fight to keep the balance of light and dark. I didn't realize how truly hard of a job that would be."

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked. "We've always been able to win against darkness. Shouldn't light have an advantage?"

Yuzuki looked up; eyes narrowing on Hikari as she spoke, "The closer you get to the light, the bigger the shadow you cast. Darkness has always had the advantage. It just needs to burn out the light, but light, in turn, creates darkness. It's always been a losing battle. That's why my crest was created. To balance the scales a little bit longer before our inevitable end."

"That's not true!" Mimi piped up, causing everyone to stare at the girl.

Lazily, Yuzuki tilted her head towards the brunette, her expression rigid. The circles under her eyes were becoming more prominent. "Then tell me, why do the chosen exist? Surely if the natural order of things was balanced, then we wouldn't be involved in a world we shouldn't even know exists."

Mimi's eyes began watering, but her expression stood firm. "We were chosen to protect the digital world and we did just that. Palmon and I created wonderful friendships and as a team we defeated darkness time and time again. I find it very hard to believe that this entire time we were fighting without a chance of winning."

"Yeah!" Inoue yelled as she jumped up to her feet. Promptly walking to the other side of the room, and ignoring Ken's pleas to sit down, she grabbed Yuzuki's arm and pulled her up. Tailmon woke up with a jolt and released her claws, ready to attack. "How would you even know this? You're a chosen just like us. What makes you so special?"

Yuzuki relaxed her hand, signaling the cat-like digimon to calm down before slowly, looking up at the purple-haired girl, ignoring the rest of the room of shocked faces. Removing the girl's hand from her shoulder she spoke. "How do I know? Because I've seen it. I've seen darkness flourish. I've seen it tear apart lives. I've seen it kill. Hell, I've helped it kill. I know Demon particularly well and what he is capable of. You don't stand a chance."

Stunned, the room stayed silent until Taichi spoke up. "What aren't you telling us?" he whispered.

Yuzuki slowly peered over her shoulder to the source of the voice. Keeping her voice monotone and hushed, she responded "I'm the reason my parents are dead."

**Cliffhanger! I've got this part written already, so it's just a matter of editing, so hopefully with the world on quarantine, I'll be able to edit it quickly! Happy Quarantine!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Whoops. I thought I posted this already. Anyway, Happy Odaiba Day! Here's more drama!**

_Everything was white. Much too white; it was nauseating. Yuzuki closed her eyes and focused on the beeping of the machines. A slow rhythmic beat, reminding her that she was still alive._

_She heard the creak of the door open and watched, half-lidded, as a woman came in and began writing notes down while the machine beeped. Closing her eyes again, she listened to the subtle scratching of ink to paper. A few moments passed before she heard a second set of footprints join her room. _

_"How are her vitals?" A man asked in a hushed tone._

_"They seem to be back to normal," a woman replied. "She should be waking up soon, how do you want to proceed?" _

_She heard the man sigh, one that spoke volumes to how truly tired he was. "Being the only next of kin, we need to be upfront about the situation. She has a lot of choices she'll have to make. Page me when she wakes. I'm grabbing a cup of coffee."_

_"Yes Dr. Kido," the woman replied. Yuzuki heard footsteps begin to quiet before the click of the door signaled she was alone again. The machine continued to beep, its natural rhythmic reminder that she was still alive, but at what cost?_

"According to the news outlets it was a drunk driving accident, though nobody could find the mysterious drunk driver or their vehicle. There were no witnesses despite it being in the middle of the day on the busiest road from here to Tokyo. And of course the police weren't going to believe the recently orphaned 16-year-old who was spouting off gibberish about grey worlds filled with monsters. So that was the story: A family torn apart because of a simple accident. The public believed it and that was that." Yuzuki's voice shook as she spoke.

"I remember that." Jou piped in. "My father was a doctor at a hospital in Tokyo at the time. He came home late every night for weeks. He never really talked to me about it, but I remember him talking to my mother about how broken his heart was for this girl. I can't believe that was you."

Taichi shifted his weight to get up, but stopped when the girl shook her head. As Taichi lowered himself back down onto the blankets, she continued. "Despite the public saying it was a car accident, I knew that wasn't the case. Not long before, Demon had managed to alter the code in my tattoo in order to talk to me. Somehow, given my status as the balancer of light and dark, he was able to use that virus to get inside my head. He told me that my true job was to join the darkness and destroy the light for good. I tried to fight back every way I could, but yelling to yourself comes off as crazy to the general public and I couldn't really control the nightmares. Eventually, he began making promises. Promises of true despair forcing me to his side. I didn't believe him until the accident. That day, I saw the world turn grey and before I could warn my parents, I had passed out. Woke up in a hospital bed completely alone."

Looking down at her hands, Yuzuki took a deep breath. "And all those promises came true. He took my family away from me and left me to deal with a cold, uncaring world. I became very aware of how unfair this fight was against darkness, so out of sheer survival I joined his side. I've done some terrible things over the last 2 years, but as much as I knew I needed to, I couldn't bring myself to hurt you guys. "

Everyone remained silent. Miyako, still standing from her previous outburst, slowly wrapped her arm around the brunette and pulled her in. "I'm so sorry. You've been through a lot. Not that I agree with your actions, but I understand." she whispered. Yuzuki froze at the contact, but relaxed into the taller girl's arms.

Taichi stood up and wrapped his arm around the girls. Entering leader mode, he began to speak. "We couldn't be there for you then, but we're here for you now, and we will prove you wrong. Demon will not win this fight. Not with us."

"Yea!" Mimi hollered. "Demon won't know what's coming to him!"

For the first time that night, the room flourished with chatter as the chosen began planning and talking up their eventual victory over the evil digimon. Finally, Taichi cleared his throat, calling everyone to turn their attention to him. "It's getting late, why don't we call it a night. We'll make a plan in the morning."

At that comment, Sora stood up and began collecting cups, while Yamato walked across the room to turn the light off. Yuzuki settled next to Taichi. Before drifting off to sleep, Taichi wrapped his arm around her and whispered "Don't you worry, I'll protect you."

She smiled at his words, but soon her lips turned downward again. If only it was that easy, killing darkness with sheer will, but Yuzuki knew better. She saw firsthand what Demon was capable of. She wasn't the one who needed protecting, she needed to protect everyone. While the room began to calm down and breaths began to even out, Yuzuki plotted her escape in the thick of night.


End file.
